Fear the Walking Dead Co-Creator Sues AMC Over Profits

Dave Erickson, the co-creator and former showrunner of the AMC spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead, filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the network on Wednesday in California state court, alleging that he has received no profit participation from the show despite contractual promises.

Erickson claims he was entitled to 5 percent of the show's modified adjusted gross receipts, a standard backend payment structure in Hollywood deals. However, according to his complaint, AMC's accounting shows the series operating at a $185 million deficit after 10 years on air, leaving him with zero dollars in profits. The suit accuses AMC of manipulating these figures through its dual role as producer and distributor, a practice known as vertical integration that allegedly allows for self-dealing and inflated costs. Erickson seeks unspecified damages, estimated in the tens of millions, along with a court order to revise his profit formula to match those of other participants.

The lawsuit highlights discrepancies in how profits are calculated. It states that at least $49 million has been paid to other unnamed backend participants, including co-creator Robert Kirkman and executive producers...